Dispensing carton



April 18, 192.9. w. D. MCDONOUGH 2,155,323

DISPENSING CARTON Filed Aug. 24, 1937 w/u DAN/f MC M w/1 /NV/V7'0/? PER Patented Apr. 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Will Daniel McDonough, Alhambra, Calif., as-

slgnor to Eleanor Williams, Alhambra, Calif.

Application August 24, 1937, Serial No. 160,620

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improved dispensing carton and is particularly adapted for the ready and convenient containing and dispensing of ordinary matches, particularly those known as household matches or kitchen matches.

One of the important objects of this invention is to provide a match containing and dispensing carton which can be simply and economically manufactured from the stock now used in making the ordinary match carton without any change in dimensions or material and with only a slight adaptation of the manufacturing process so far as the carton itself is concerned.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a combination match box and dispenser which can be practically immediately changed from a closed container to a dispenser by almost anyone and which, when so changed, will serve to continuously dispense matches therefrom until it is empty.

Another and. still further important object of the invention is to provide, in a match container and dispenser, means for readily supporting the same on a wall or the like by means of a hook or some similar device whereby it will be rendered readily accessible and which, furthermore, will serve to properly retain the inner and outer portions of the carton together in desired assembled relationship.

Other and further important objects of the invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the accompanying drawing and following specification.

The invention, in a preferred form, is shown in the drawing and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved combination match box and dispenser of this 0 invention, showing the same in dispensing position.

Figure 2 is a side view of the carton, illustrating the same before opening.

Figure 3 is a front view of the device, the sus- 5 pension means being indicated in dotted lines,

and the perforations and scores being also correspondingly indicated.

As shown in the drawing:

The reference numeral l0 indicates generally 50 the outer box or container of the improved dispensing carton of this invention, the same being of the size and contour of the ordinary wellknown match box; namely, a rectangular parallelopipedon open at both ends.

55 Into this is slidably fitted the usual inner tray l2 which contains the matches and which is open at its top, all as is common in the art.

One end of the outer container is perforated on the sides as indicated at M in Figure 2 and across the front as indicated at IS in Figure 3, 5 these perforations being of such a nature that the inclosed tabs (one on each side) can be readily broken out as best indicated at l8 in Figure 1, there being an extension 20 on each tab which, when the tab is broken away and the extension 10 pushed inwardly, will form a stop against the upper or front portion of the box when the corresponding tray portion is pulled outwardly into the position indicated in Figure 1. This cutward pulling is rendered feasible, first, on ac- 15 count of the breaking away along the perforated lines and also on account of a bending along the scored line 22 as indicated in Figures 1 and 8.

A relatively small circular perforation is formed in the back or bottom of the container 20 It! as indicated at 24 in Figures 1 and 3, and. this perforation is made in adjacent or juxtaposed portions of the outer box l0 and the inner tray l2 so that these adjacent portions can be readily punched in Or pushed away so as to form an opening for the reception of the supporting hook or nail. In this manner, the device can be readily hung upon a wall or the like, and when so hung, the line of apertures 24 serve to permit the drawer portion l2 from slipping downand 30 allowing any of the matches to escape below the trough 26.

It will be evident that herein is provided a combination match box and dispenser which, on account of its simplicity, can be readily made 35 from the ordinary match box by a simple series of perforated lines and scorings with the advantage that, when opened, it forms a convenient dispenser, supplanting the usual separate dispenser. When opened out, the box of this inventio-n may stand upright or be suspended, and if desired the extended trough 26 may be retracted or pushed inwardly although in common use the same will probably never be disturbed once it has been opened out.

The matches indicated at 28 can obviously be readily withdrawn, and upon the withdrawal of some of the matches, more will immediately fall in to replace those taken away until such time as the level of the matches in the box falls below the level of the upper edge of the trough 26, and even after this, the withdrawing action can still take place until the supply is exhausted.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction varied throughout a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitatedby the prior art.

I claim as my invention:'

A combination match box and dispenser, comprising an outer open-ended box, on inner tray siidable in the box, and means for forming a m dispensing trough-fromportions of the outer box, 

